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Is there a proper pronunciation for the word Linux?

Could someone write the phonetics for pronouncing "Linux", and also the somewhat notorious variant "Lye-nix"?

I think this is right...

  • Lɪnɪx, NOT Lɚnɪx.

...or perhaps...

  • Lɪnʌx, NOT Lɚnʌx*

Can someone confirm the correct phonetics? (Listen to Linus on the matter).

14 Answers 14

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21
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Linus Torvalds take on the matter.

Edit: Links seems to be down. Here is the almost complete content:

"Hello this is Linus Torvalds and I pronounce Linux as Linux."

(alternative Source)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IfHm6R5le0

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Crikey! Do you all say "..ix"? I've always pronounced the "u" as a "u"...

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  • 1
    I give you +1 for just admitting that you've mispronounced it, and now you know =D.
    – khosrow
    May 29, 2009 at 10:24
  • I dunno - Linus Torvalds sounds like he says it my way - though maybe that's because of how I interpret a Finnish accent through British ears...
    – teedyay
    May 29, 2009 at 10:27
  • My bad teedyay - I completely misread your post - you were referring to the ending "...ix", I was talking about the starting "li..." =) In which case - I think your pronunciation must have been perfectly fine.
    – khosrow
    May 29, 2009 at 10:34
  • I guess the people who say -ix, also pronounce Linus as line-is, right? :)
    – Micke
    May 29, 2009 at 10:39
  • liNIX, as in uNIX. Sheesh
    – Dave Cheney
    May 29, 2009 at 12:46
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There is a you-tube video where Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, explains how the word should be pronounced. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IfHm6R5le0

some more referrance: http://safalra.com/science/linguistics/linux-pronunciation/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

gives you audio files.

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As for i know I used to pronounce LINUX. L I N U X.. :-)

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I always say unix - but that doesn't endear me to the devs...

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    Linux is not unix :-P
    – vartec
    May 29, 2009 at 10:48
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    ohhh i know.... still its funny to me...
    – Preet Sangha
    May 29, 2009 at 10:52
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AFAIK, you should pronounce it "lee-nooks"

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  • lol thats very funny...
    – Preet Sangha
    May 29, 2009 at 10:58
  • That is, phonetically, how they say it in Finnish. And since Linus is from Finland, well, there you have it.
    – Jonathan J
    Jan 4, 2012 at 5:49
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in Italy: "leenooks" (in phonetic symbols: l'inucs)

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Lye nucks

I know people who say lih nucks, but its just sounds wrong to me

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  • +1 me too. I started pronouncing it this way and it was burned into my brain before I learned that it was "wrong". If saying lye-nucks is wrong, I don't want to be right!
    – Mr. Shiny and New 安宇
    May 29, 2009 at 12:53
  • Just remember, folks LINE-X is a brand of Pickup truck bed liners, not operating systems ;-)
    – Barton Chittenden
    Jan 4, 2012 at 6:01
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2 out of 10 people will pronounce common everyday words differently - what makes you think and hope there will ever be a consencus on how to p-ronounce "Linux" ?

Apart from that ... like Linus with an x. (I don't think I can post audio with these answers :)

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I would say "Li-nix".

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Linux pron:Lyn-ux

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I normally go with "ooboon2"

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That's GNU Linux to you. Just ask Richard M. Stallman.

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